Chapter 155 Zi Shao Makes His Move
Ye Shengge was gratified by Chen Tangtang’s composed expression; she liked people with such composure.
However, Ye Shengge looked at He Yiyi, who was stammering, and disliked her, intensely and genuinely.
“Classmate He Yiyi can naturally go.”
After all, the state-run restaurant wasn’t owned by her.
He Yiyi breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Ye Shengge with gratitude.
The three arrived at the state-run restaurant. Ye Shengge was pleased with the dishes on the blackboard; braised pork was available.
“Tangtang, feel free to order.”
“Shengge, you order. I’m fine with anything.”
Ye Shengge knew Chen Tangtang was hesitant and didn’t force her.
“One portion of braised pork, one portion of braised eggplant, one portion of egg soup, and two bowls of white rice.”
With each dish Ye Shengge ordered, Chen Tangtang’s happiness grew.
“Shengge, you’re so kind. I haven’t had braised pork in a long time.”
Ye Shengge truly didn’t concern herself with He Yiyi. Since she had said she’d pay herself, Ye Shengge wouldn’t be the fool.
He Yiyi, standing beside them, had never expected Ye Shengge to only order for the two of them. Touching the meager amount of money and ration coupons in her pocket, she gritted her teeth and ordered a portion of shredded pork with noodles.
The three still sat together. When the food was served, He Yiyi had no appetite.
Chen Tangtang, eating the soft and fragrant braised pork, barely noticed anyone else.
Even Ye Shengge, who wasn’t lacking meat, felt that the state-run restaurant’s braised pork was exceptional. As praised in novels, the state-run restaurant’s braised pork never disappointed.
Before they had finished eating, they heard the screech of brakes from the state-run restaurant’s entrance. Ye Shengge was quite surprised when she saw who walked in.
Listening to the murmurs in the restaurant, Ye Shengge knew that in any era, people were drawn to good looks.
Zi Yisheng heard A Can say that the little girl would be at the state-run restaurant for lunch, so he quickly finished his work, wanting to find an opportunity to spend some time with the little girl before anyone else could intercept them.
“Shengge, what a coincidence.”
Ye Shengge raised an eyebrow, her look of disbelief causing Zi Yisheng to touch his nose.
Zi Yisheng walked to the little girl, bending over to stroke her hair.
“Let’s go, keep me company for lunch.”
“But I’m having lunch with my classmates.”
Chen Tangtang had been captivated by the handsome man, but as soon as she heard he was here to take Shengge away, she became unhappy. She looked at Ye Shengge with a wronged expression.
“Shengge, who is he?”
“Uh, my brother.”
Ye Shengge really didn’t know how to introduce Zi Yisheng, so she could only classify him as an elder brother.
Chen Tangtang, who had been hostile moments before, immediately changed her demeanor.
“Shengge, you go and be with your brother. You should spend more time together now that you’ve reunited. You don’t need to accompany me. I’ll be fine with just meat.”
Zi Yisheng was very pleased with the little girl’s friend and gave Chen Tangtang a kind smile.
“Thank you, classmate. You can eat at the state-run restaurant for the entire next week. My treat.”
“Really! That’s great.”
Ye Shengge looked at Chen Tangtang, who was easily swayed by meat, feeling speechless. She had sold herself out so easily.
“Shengge, is this your brother? Hello, Brother Ye. I’m Shengge’s classmate, my name is He Yiyi.”
Ye Shengge frowned even tighter as she looked at He Yiyi. Even Chen Tangtang looked at the other woman in surprise. Zi Yisheng, seeing this, immediately reached out and smoothed the little girl’s frown.
“Don’t frown.”
Zi Yisheng pulled Ye Shengge towards the second floor of the state-run restaurant, completely ignoring He Yiyi, who had already stood up and extended her hand.
“Inform the staff here that this classmate’s meals for the week are on me.”
“Yes.”
Ouyang, who had been following behind, glanced at Chen Tangtang. Hmph, she really was plump.
Ye Shengge apologized to Chen Tangtang with a wave of her hand, then glanced at He Yiyi, whose face was looking rather displeased.
Zi Yisheng led Ye Shengge familiarly to a private room on the second floor, where a meal had already been prepared.
“Shengge, I asked the chef to prepare some of his most signature dishes. Try them quickly.”
Ye Shengge didn’t pick up her chopsticks, choosing instead to sit opposite Zi Yisheng and watch him.
Zi Yisheng knew his actions had displeased the little girl, but he had to seize these opportunities. The family was very strict, and sometimes they wouldn’t exchange a single word in a day.
Zi Yisheng sighed, walked to Ye Shengge, and knelt down, his expression serious.
“Shengge, I want to spend time alone with you. I hope we can have more opportunities to understand each other.”
“Why do we need to understand each other?”
Although Ye Shengge had guessed some things, she couldn’t presume if he didn’t say it herself.
Actually, Ye Shengge quite liked Zi Yisheng’s looks; both his appearance and physique fit her aesthetic preferences.
Zi Yisheng took Ye Shengge’s hand and spoke solemnly.
“Because I like you. I’ve liked you since the first moment I saw you.”
“The first moment?”
Ye Shengge tried to recall when they had first met.
“You don’t know the first time I saw you. You were leaning by the roadside, feeling unwell. The moment I saw you, you reminded me of Aunt Bai. You reminded me of the smile I had always longed to see, a smile that could warm my heart.
The second time was when you were speaking to the guard at the entrance of the government compound. I saw a different side of you. It made me want to pay more attention to you.”
Ye Shengge didn’t know what to say. This was her first time experiencing a confession. She was nervous, but a flutter of excitement also arose in her heart. However, she didn’t know if this excitement stemmed from the superiority of being confessed to, or genuine happiness that it was Zi Yisheng confessing to her.
“I… I don’t know how to answer you.”
Zi Yisheng smiled. It was good that the little girl didn’t know; she was clearly still naive.
“Don’t be afraid, Shengge. We’ll spend time together slowly, and you’ll understand your own heart. I’m much older than you, and I only want you to live happily and healthily under my care. So, you don’t need to feel any burden. Leave everything to me.”
Ye Shengge looked at the man before her, momentarily feeling captivated. She unconsciously reached out and touched his face.
Zi Yisheng was surprised for a moment, then quickly caught the little girl’s hand and pressed it to his face. This girl clearly liked his looks. He thanked his mother for giving him such a handsome face.
If asked why he didn’t thank his father, Zi Yisheng would dismissively say he didn’t deserve it.
This was good. As long as there was something about him that attracted the little girl, he could win her over before she truly understood her feelings. Ideally, she would never look at anyone else again in the future.
“Do you like it?”
Ye Shengge felt as if her hand had been burned. At the same time, she felt utterly useless. She had seen plenty of handsome men on TV in her previous life; how could she be captivated by this older man in front of her? She was truly pathetic.
“If Shengge likes it, that’s good. I’ll let you see me every day from now on.”
“Who wants to see?”
Ye Shengge was somewhat annoyed by Zi Yisheng’s shamelessness and picked up her chopsticks to hide her embarrassment.
Zi Yisheng didn’t tease her further. He pulled a chair over and sat beside her, attentively serving her food.